Anisotropy Effects in Microseismic Monitoring

Abstract

Abstract The accuracy of microseismic monitoring is highly dependent on the quality of the velocity structure used in the analysis of the arrival time or waveform data. Because most rocks associated with hydrocarbon reservoirs are generally anisotropic, methods must be developed to circumvent the effects of anisotropy or to determine the anisotropy parameters for appropriate inclusion. Some field measurements of horizontal vs. vertical velocities are given to help assess the degree of transverse anisotropy. Synthetic case studies are also provided to show how various monitoring strategies and velocity models can affect the accuracy of the microseismic locations.